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Below is our interview with Shintaro Yoshikawa, Founder of Haikaraya:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to yourself?
A: My name is Shintaro Yoshikawa, also known as “Shintarrow” in the world of visual and narrative expression. I work professionally across multiple disciplines—including visual arts, radio production, and strategic consulting—based in Japan. I am the founder of “Haikaraya,” a photo and video studio situated inside the historic 24 Eyes Movie Village on Shodoshima Island.
What may appear to be unrelated roles—visual creator, media producer, and business advisor—are in fact deeply interconnected for me. The common thread is my commitment to integrating creativity and logic, tradition and modernity, art and utility, to bring out the unseen essence of people, organizations, and places. Rather than merely documenting moments, my mission is to translate the invisible into resonance— to reconstruct meaning across layers of emotion, culture, and strategy, and gently shift the coordinates of perception.
Q: What makes you the best choice? How are you unique?
A: What sets me apart is the rare combination of high-level capabilities across visual storytelling, media production, and strategic advising—each of which I’ve developed professionally.
I don’t offer isolated services, but integrated solutions where creativity, emotion, and logic converge.
If business expertise is needed, I bring my MBA background. If visual sensitivity is called for, I deliver through the lens of a filmmaker and photographer. But what clients truly seek, I believe, is not any single skill—but a new vantage point that emerges only through such fusion.
Q: Who is your ideal client and why?
A: My ideal clients are forward-thinking organizations, cultural institutions, high-end brands, and individuals at a turning point— those uncertain of their next step. I value projects with ambiguity, because they often hold the most creative potential. Together, we navigate uncertainty to create something original and resonant.
Q: What can we expect from you in the next 6 months? What are your plans?
A: In April 2025, I’ll be presenting work at “Another Art Festival” in Shodoshima— by then,
likely immersed in the creative process. Rather than chasing defined outcomes, I focus on deepening my sensitivity and refining the integration of my many perspectives.
I also plan to travel to parts of Europe and Asia—not to check off objectives, but to design serendipity. I believe that encounters born from ambiguity often bring the most lasting insights. The reader of this interview may even become part of that unfolding journey.
All of my work is a passage, not a destination—each project is a part of an ongoing journey that constantly invites new questions and perspectives. I don’t seek to arrive, but to continue asking better questions— because only by walking through the ambiguity can we catch glimpses of the truth that refuses to be pinned down.
Q: What is the best thing about Haikaraya that people might not know about?
A: Haikaraya is not merely a studio—it is a cultural experience. Nestled in the nostalgic setting of the 24 Eyes Movie Village, it offers deeply emotional visuals blending drone work, storytelling, and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
Beyond visuals, Haikaraya serves as a platform for regional revitalization and cultural dialogue. Staff in kimono greet each guest, and the space itself feels like a time capsule of beauty, reflection, and emotion. It’s a place where memory becomes art.
To learn more about my projects or get in touch, please visit my website.
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